Who invented the first electric motor?

The first electric motor that was capable of outputting mechanical power was invented by Prussian Moritz Jacobi in May 1834. While his first motor was only capable of generating a small amount of force, his second development was powerful enough to drive a small boat.

Jacobi's second motor took him only four years to develop after introducing the world's first electric motor as proof of the concept. After Jacobi's second motor, it took another six years for anyone to develop an electric motor that produced the same amount of power. Jacobi's inventions paved the way for other scientists to develop more powerful motors and alternators based on his concepts.